Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Samudra Pratap, the first of two Pollution Control Vessels (PCVs) built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), was commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, IAS, Defence Secretary and Director General, ICG, Paramesh Sivamani, AVSM, PTM, TM, and senior dignitaries from the Central and State Governments. The commissioning marks a major step forward in India's pursuit of Atmanirbharat (Self Reliant India) in shipbuilding and maritime capability development.
Samudra Pratap, meaning Majesty of the Seas, reflects the Indian Coast Guard's resolve to ensure safe, secure and clean seas while safeguarding the nation's maritime interests. The ship represents a major advancement in indigenous ship design and construction. ICGS Samudra Pratap has been entirely conceived, designed, and built in India with over 60 percent indigenous content. Measuring 114.5 meters in length and 16.5 meters in beam, the ship can achieve speeds exceeding 22 knots and is equipped with advanced automation and computerized control systems, underscoring India's growing capability in complex shipbuilding.
Displacing approximately 4,200 tons, the ship is powered by two 7,500 kW diesel engines driving indigenously developed Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP) and gearboxes, offering superior maneuverability, flexibility and endurance of 6,000 nautical miles. The vessel's primary role is pollution response at sea, supported by state-of-the-art systems including side-sweeping arms, floating booms, high-capacity skimmers, portable barges, and a pollution control laboratory. The ship is also fitted with an External Fire-Fighting System (Fi-Fi Class 1) and integrates advanced systems such as Dynamic Positioning (DP), Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), and Automated Power Management System (APMS) to enhance automation and mission efficiency. Its armament includes a 30 mm CRN-91 gun and two 12.7 mm Stabilized Remote-Controlled Guns (SRCG), supported by modern fire-control systems.
Based at Kochi under the operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (West), through Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 4 (Kerala & Mahe), the ship will undertake pollution response, maritime surveillance, and other charter of duties to safeguard India's maritime interests. Commanded by Deputy Inspector General Ashok Kumar Bhama, the ship has a complement of 14 officers and 115 personnel. The complement includes the maiden appointment of two women Officers, who will be performing duties shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts.
The addition of ICGS Samudra Pratap will significantly enhance the Indian Coast Guard's operational capability in pollution control, firefighting, maritime safety, and environmental protection. It will also strengthen the Service's ability to conduct extended surveillance and response missions across India's vast maritime zones. ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology conduct regular aerial assessments to detect and monitor potential pollution incidents rapidly.
ICG has a strong record in marine pollution control, operating as the nation's primary response authority for oil and chemical spills in its maritime zones. It has successfully averted major ecological disasters, such as coordinating a large-scale firefighting and salvage operation on the very large crude carrier (VLCC) MT New Diamond off the Sri Lankan coast, preventing a massive oil spill.
ICG regularly conducts National Pollution Response Exercises (NATPOLREX) involving more than 50 national stakeholders to assess and enhance inter-agency preparedness and coordination for oil spill incidents and actively participates in national campaigns like Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar and Puneet Sagar Abhiyan, having conducted over 58 major coastal clean-up operations in a recent year and removing more than 194 tonnes of plastic waste.
ICG shares its expertise and assets with neighboring countries, deploying vessels like Samudra Paheredar to ASEAN nations as part of India's initiative for marine pollution response cooperation in the region.
Beyond pollution response, the ICG plays a crucial role in marine conservation, including "Operation Olivia" which protects the nesting sites of endangered Olive Ridley turtles off the Odisha coast.
The Indian Coast Guard's proactive approach, modern assets, and regional cooperation efforts have established it as a reliable and effective force for safeguarding the maritime environment. While many of the Indian Ocean Rim countries cooperate with ICG, countries with a strong ICG) cooperation include island nations like the Maldives and Sri Lanka (Exercise Dosti), regional partners like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, plus major maritime players like the USA, Japan, and South Korea, all sharing goals of maritime safety, security, pollution response, and combating illegal activities through MoUs, joint exercises, and high-level meetings.
WordSword Features
The author, a strategic affairs analyst and former spokesperson, Defence Ministry and Indian Army, can be contacted at wordsword02@gmail.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/anil-bhat-70b94766/ and @ColAnilBhat8252, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJKaZOcAt9K8fcDkb_onng
More on Indian Navy Technology:
Recounting Indian Navy's1971 valour: Questions before the nation: https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/recounting-indian-navys-1971-valour-questions-before-the-nation/
Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2025 relates to what was implemented in Op Sindoor: https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/maritime-information-sharing-workshop-2025-relates-to-what-was-implemented-in-operation-sindoor/
India’s military tri-service exercise Trishul: https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/indias-military-tri-service-exercise-trishul/
Defending India’s vast maritime underwater domain: https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/defending-indias-vast-maritime-underwater-domain/
100th & 101st Indian built warships adding to India’s military self-reliance: https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/100th-and-101st-indian-built-warships-adding-to-indias-military-self-reliance/
Dassault contracts JVs with Tatas for Rafale fuselage and Ambanis for Falcon jet to be made in India: https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/dassault-contracts-jvs-with-tatas-for-rafale-fuselage-and-ambanis-for-falcon-jet/
